Class Notes

July/August 2024 (YAM version)

Note: A much longer version of this column was published earlier on our Class website (here).

This column of Class Notes closed days after our 60th Class Reunion, so we could publish a brief reunion report. A longer reunion report will be posted on our Class website in early July. There, you will be able to find photos from the reunion, too. If you attended, please send us photos you took (with captions) and your overall feedback on the reunion.

Our 60th Class Reunion was attended by 163 classmates and 121 guests (total: 284) with HQ in Timothy Dwight College. It was a beautiful Memorial Day weekend. Especially on this holiday, we remembered our three classmates — Charles Brown, Bruce Warner, and Phinney Works — who gave their lives in Vietnam. Chaired by John Evans, the Class programming was led by eighteen classmates on topics ranging from Evolution to Artificial Intelligence: Bob Archer, Len Baker, Tom Barnard, Steve Bingham, John Doane, Sam Francis, Howard Gillette, Jon Greene, Jim Hart, Tony Lee, Edward Massey, Jon McBride, John Meigs, Paul Steiger, Ward Wickwire, Joe Wishcamper, Bill Woodfin, and John Wylie.

Don Edwards and Steve Klingelhofer led a moving memorial service in Battell Chapel for the 90 classmates we lost since our 55th reunion. Tony Lavely emceed the Class Dinner during which Class Council and Class Officers were elected, followed by dancing to the fabulous Jay Gitlin Band. Bill Galvin and Sam Francis were gratefully acknowledged for creating a stunning 60th reunion book that contained over 300 essays by classmates. Ted Jones organized a golf outing at Tashua Knolls Golf Course in Trumbull, CT, for 21 classmates and friends. There were rave reviews for the refurbished Peabody Museum and expanded Schwarzman Center. Steve Norman and Tony Lavely, co-chairs of the 60th Reunion Gift Committee, presented outgoing President Peter Salovey with a check for over $10 million. Allison Cole ‘99, the new Executive Director of YAA also joined us. Special thanks to our YAA support team, especially Stephanie Hartnett, Janene Castaldi, and Alisa Masterson, and to Yale Hospitality for delicious food, refreshing beverages, and friendly service. Finally, we thank the eight classmates who made generous donations to the Class Treasury to underwrite a substantial portion of the reunion costs: Peter Bradford, Chip Brennan, Bob Buchanan, Will Elting, Dick Niglio, Jim Rogers, Ted Wagner, and Joe Wishcamper. If you were unable to attend our reunion, please send us an update about yourself, so we can include it in the next issue.

In the days leading up to our 60th reunion, we were saddened to learn about the deaths of six classmates. Brad Lane died on January 25, 2022, in Bedford, NY. Dan Northway died on August 3, 2023, in Topeka, KS. Hood Franks died on February 10, 2024, in Scottsdale, AZ. Terry Moulton died on February 19, 2024, in Blue Hill, ME. John Kissick died on February 29, 2024, in Pacific Palisades, CA. Joe Lieberman died on March 27, 2024, in Riverdale, NY. Obituaries and remembrances of these men are on our Class website/In Memoriam, along with information on how to donate a Mory’s Memorial Brick in their name. They were each remembered during the Memorial Service at our 60th reunion, along with 84 other classmates who died since our 55th reunion; the service was recorded and will be posted on our Class website. Matt Lieberman ‘89 (son of Joe Lieberman) read the Hebrew Kaddish. We were pleased to welcome and underwrite reunion costs for the surviving spouses of eleven classmates at our reunion. Mark your calendars now for our 65th class reunion in May 2029!